Boston Red Sox option Jackie Bradley Jr., recall Mookie Betts

The Boston Red Sox flip-flopped young outfielders on their 25-man roster Monday, optioning Jackie Bradley Jr. to Triple-A Pawtucket and recalling Mookie Betts from the Paw Sox.

The club announced the moves via their website.

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Bradley, 24, has been with the big club all season, but is struggling to hit big-league pitching. In 112 games, Bradley is hitting .216/.288/.290 with 45 runs, 19 doubles, a homer, 30 RBI and 111 strikeouts.

Since the All-Star break, Bradley has slumped to .173/.222/.213 in 81 plate appearances and is just 5-for-35 in August, numbers no amount of defensive excellence can hide.

Bradley was a sandwich pick at the end of the first round out of the University of South Carolina in 2011 and made his major league debut on Opening Day in 2013.

Betts, the diminutive fifth-round pick out of Overton High School in Brentwood, Tenn., is back for a third stint with the Red Sox this season, all since June 29.

The 21-year-old hit .244/.279/.366 in 13 games his first two times around, with two doubles, a home run and two RBI.

Betts began the season at Double-A Portland, where he hit .355/.443/.551 in 54 games. He was hitting .335/.417/.503 in 45 games for Pawtucket.

Bradley leads American League outfielders with 13 assists this season and has been part of an AL-best eight double players from the outfield. No other outfielder in the majors has been involved in more than three.